JP2004314200A - Automated polishing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an automated polishing apparatus which does not cut into a die, and hardly causes wear and loading on a polishing tool, and can carry out finishing by gradually making abrasive grains of the polishing tool fine without changing the polishing tool. <P>SOLUTION: The automatic polishing apparatus for carrying out polishing by moving the polishing tool comprises: a belt shape polishing tape 101 which has flexibility and has a polishing surface thereon; a feed reel 102 which winds one end of the polishing tape 101 on the outer periphery thereof; a receiving reel 103 which winds the other end of the polishing tape 101 on the outer periphery thereof; a polishing pulley 104 which is located between the feed reel 102 and the receiving reel 103 and makes the polishing surface of the polishing tape 101 project outward the apparatus; a guide pulley 105 for applying tension to the polishing tape 101; and an actuator 107 for driving the feed reel 102 or the receiving reel 103 or both of them so as to turn. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an automatic polishing apparatus for polishing a molding surface or the like of a mold using a robot.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, the process from mold design to machining has been streamlined by introducing numerically controlled machine tools, etc., but polishing after machining still relies on the manual work of skilled workers. . This is because the mold has a complicated shape including a free-form surface, and a surface roughness close to a mirror surface is required for the processing surface.
As an operation method of a skilled person, for example, polishing is performed by attaching an abrasive such as a cloth file to the tip of a wooden spatula and holding the wooden spatula to reciprocate while pressing the abrasive against a surface to be polished. In the polishing operation, the abrasive is first polished with a coarse abrasive having a large number, and then, as the surface roughness becomes smaller, the abrasive is gradually switched to a finer abrasive with a smaller number. When the clogging of the abrasive occurs, the abrasive is replaced with another abrasive. Switching and replacement of these abrasives are also performed manually at the discretion of a skilled person.
However, the polishing operation by hand is a time-consuming operation that occupies 20 to 30% of the production time of the mold, and automation thereof has been strongly desired.
An automatic polishing apparatus itself for automating a polishing operation of a mold has been conventionally proposed (for example, see Patent Document 1).
[0003]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-5-138531
FIG. 9 is a diagram described in Patent Document 1.
In the figure, reference numeral 901 denotes a robot main body; 902, a control device for controlling the robot 901; 903, a spindle motor arranged at the tip of the robot 901; 904, which is attached to the rotating shaft of the spindle motor 903, and has a polished surface on the surface. A polishing tool 905 is a mold to be polished. As shown in the figure, the polishing tool 904 rotates around the rotation axis of the spindle motor 903, and the die can be polished by pressing its tip against the die.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the above-mentioned conventional automatic polishing apparatus, since the peripheral speed is different depending on the distance from the center of the polishing tool 904, there is a problem that the polishing speed is different depending on the place where the polishing tool is in contact, and the polishing condition is uneven. In particular, at the center of the rotation axis of the polishing tool, the peripheral speed becomes zero and polishing becomes impossible.
In addition, when a polishing tool having a small outer diameter is used to grind a small portion such as a groove, the polishing tool 904 becomes like a drill because the rotation axis of the polishing tool coincides with the pressing direction. However, there is a problem that the mold is damaged by being cut into the mold.
Further, since the polishing tool is liable to be worn or clogged, it needs to be replaced with another one each time, and there is a problem in that replacement requires much time and effort.
Furthermore, even if an expert tried to automate the method of finishing by gradually reducing the abrasive grains of the polishing tool as was done manually, it is necessary to replace it with another polishing tool each time, There is a problem that it takes much time and labor for replacement.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to solve these problems, and it is possible to keep a polishing rate constant, and to polish a small portion such as a groove into a mold even if the outer diameter is reduced. The present invention provides an automatic polishing apparatus that is free from biting, hardly causes abrasion and clogging of the polishing tool, and that can gradually finish the abrasive grains of the polishing tool without changing the polishing tool. .
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention of the automatic polishing apparatus according to claim 1 is an automatic polishing apparatus that performs polishing by moving a polishing tool along a pre-programmed path, and has flexibility and surface. A belt-shaped polishing tape having a polishing surface, a disc-shaped sending reel for winding one end of the polishing tape around the outer circumference, a disc-shaped receiving reel for winding the other end of the polishing tape around the outer circumference, and a feeding reel A polishing pulley that is located between the receiving reel and the receiving reel to protrude the polishing surface of the polishing tape to the outside of the apparatus; a guide pulley that applies tension to the polishing tape; and the feed reel, the receiving reel, the polishing pulley, and the guide pulley rotate. A housing that is freely connected and an actuator that is fixed to the housing and that rotationally drives the sending-side reel and / or the receiving-side reel. The features.
According to the above configuration, since the feed speed of the polishing tape is constant at the outer periphery of the polishing pulley, the polishing speed becomes uniform, and unevenness of the polishing condition does not occur depending on the location. In addition, even when using a polishing tool with a small outer diameter to grind a small part such as a groove, the rotation axis of the polishing tool and the pressing direction are perpendicular to each other, so that the grinding tool bites into the mold like a drill Without damaging the mold. Further, as compared with a rotary polishing tool, the frequency of the same polishing surface hitting the mold is reduced, so that abrasion and clogging hardly occur, and the frequency of replacement of the polishing tool can be suppressed.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the automatic polishing apparatus of the first aspect, the polishing pulley is supported by an elastic body with respect to the housing.
According to the above configuration, the elastic body expands and contracts, so that it can appropriately follow the subtle unevenness of the mold having a complicated curved surface.
[0007]
The polishing tape according to claim 3 is characterized in that the roughness (count) of the polishing surface changes continuously or stepwise in the length direction.
By using the polishing tape having the above-described configuration, a method of finishing by gradually reducing the abrasive grains on the polishing surface can be automated without changing the polishing tool.
The invention of a polishing tape according to a fourth aspect is characterized in that information on the winding length is added in the length direction.
If the polishing tape having the above configuration is used, the most suitable polishing tape can always be used immediately according to the polishing process, so that the working efficiency is improved.
The invention of the polishing tape according to the fifth aspect is characterized in that the roughness (count) of the polishing surface changes continuously or stepwise in the length direction, and the information of the winding length is added in the length direction. Features.
By using the polishing tape with the above configuration, the method of finishing the abrasive grains on the polished surface gradually and finely can be automated without changing the polishing tool, and at the same time, the optimum polishing tape of the optimal count is always immediately determined according to the polishing process. Work efficiency is improved because it can be used.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the automatic polishing apparatus of the first or second aspect, the polishing tape is the polishing tape of the third aspect.
According to the above configuration, an automatic polishing apparatus is provided in which the finishing is automated by gradually reducing the abrasive grains on the polishing surface.
According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the automatic polishing apparatus according to the first or second aspect, the polishing tape is the polishing tape according to the fourth or fifth aspect, and the housing has a means for reading the length information. It is characterized by having.
According to the above configuration, it is possible to obtain an automatic polishing apparatus with high working efficiency that can immediately use the most suitable polishing tape in accordance with the polishing process.
The invention of an automatic polishing apparatus according to claim 8 is an automatic polishing apparatus that performs polishing by moving a polishing tool along a pre-programmed path. An endless polishing tape, two disc-shaped reels which are in contact with the inside of the polishing tape and transport the polishing tape, and a polishing pulley which is located between the two disc-shaped reels and protrudes a polishing surface of the polishing tape to the outside of the apparatus. A guide pulley for urging the polishing tape, a housing in which the two disc-shaped reels, the polishing pulley and the guide pulley are rotatably connected, and the two discs fixed to the housing. And an actuator for rotating one or both of the reels.
According to the above configuration, it is possible to obtain an automatic polishing apparatus in which the driving of the actuator is simple and the cost is good.
[0008]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
<First Embodiment>
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front view (a) and a side view (b), and FIG. 3 is a view showing a vertical articulated robot equipped with an automatic polishing device. is there.
1 and 2, reference numeral 101 denotes a polishing tape. The polishing tape 101 is, for example, a cloth file, and a polishing material such as a grindstone is applied to one surface of an elongated band-shaped cloth. The polishing tape 101 is provided in a state in which one end is fixed to the outer periphery of a disc-shaped feed-side reel 102 and is wound around the reel with this as a starting point. The other end of the polishing tape 101 is fixed to the outer periphery of a receiving reel 103 having the same shape as the sending reel 102. A polishing pulley 104 is located between the sending reel 102 and the receiving reel 103, and projects the polishing tape 101 to the outside of the apparatus with respect to both reels.
Reference numeral 105 denotes a guide pulley, which presses against the polishing tape 101 to urge tension so that the polishing tape 101 does not slack.
The feed-side reel 102, the receiving-side reel 103, the polishing pulley 104, and the guide pulley 105 are rotatably mounted on a housing 106 via respective rotary shafts. The rotation axis of the feed-side reel 102 is directly connected to the output shaft of a feed-side actuator 107a fixed to the housing 106, and the feed-side reel 102 is rotated by driving the feed-side actuator 107a. Have been.
[0009]
Similarly, the rotation axis of the receiving reel 103 is directly connected to the output shaft of the receiving actuator 107b fixed to the housing 106, and the receiving reel 103 is rotated by driving the receiving actuator 107b. It is configured.
For example, an electric motor can be used as the actuator.
Here, the receiving side actuator 103b is driven to rotate the receiving side reel 103 in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 2A, and simultaneously, the driving side actuator 107a is driven to rotate the sending side reel 102 in the same direction. Then, the polishing tape 101 on the outer periphery of the feed reel 102 is wound around the receiving reel 103. At this time, also on the outer periphery of the polishing pulley 104, the polishing tape 101 is sent in the direction of the arrow in the figure.
Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, the robot 301 is controlled so that the polishing pulley 104 is pressed against the mold 302 in a state where the casing 106 is attached to the tip of the vertical articulated robot 301, so that the polishing tape 101 is fed. The mold can be polished using the speed as the polishing speed.
According to this method, the feed speed of the polishing tape 101 is constant at the outer periphery of the polishing pulley 104, so that the polishing speed is uniform, and the polishing condition does not vary depending on the location.
In addition, even when using a polishing tool with a small outer diameter to grind a small part such as a groove, the rotation axis of the polishing tool and the pressing direction are perpendicular to each other, so that the grinding tool bites into the mold like a drill Without damaging the mold.
In the above embodiment, the sending reel 102 and the receiving reel 103 are driven by different actuators. However, these may be operated by one actuator in conjunction with each other.
[0010]
FIG. 4 shows an operation example of the actuator 107.
FIG. 4A shows a state in which the polishing tape 101 wound on the sending reel 102 rotates in the same direction until all of the polishing tape 101 is wound on the receiving reel 103, and then rotates in the reverse direction, and the entire polishing tape 101 is again sent to the sending reel. This is an example in which the information is stored in the storage unit 102. In this method, the polishing speed is always kept constant except for the starting point and the ending point of the winding, so that there is an advantage that the polishing can be uniform.
FIG. 4B shows an example in which the polishing tape is reciprocated in a short width to perform polishing. This method has an advantage that a polishing operation close to a manual operation of a skilled person can be reproduced.
In any case, according to the present embodiment, the frequency at which the same polished surface hits the mold is reduced as compared with the rotary polishing tool. Therefore, abrasion and clogging hardly occur, and the frequency of replacement of the polishing tool can be suppressed.
[0011]
<Second embodiment>
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing characteristics of the polishing tape according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
In the manual operation of skilled workers, a method of first polishing with a coarse abrasive and a large abrasive, and then gradually switching to a fine abrasive and a small abrasive as the surface roughness becomes finer. Can be Therefore, if the roughness of the grindstone applied to the polishing tape 101 is made to be coarse at first and fine at the end as shown in FIG. 5A, the polishing method as shown in FIG. When used, the count can be gradually reduced as the polishing operation progresses. However, in practical use, it is sufficient that the count changes stepwise as shown in FIG. 5B. In this case, since the polishing tapes can be easily manufactured by joining polishing tapes having different numbers, the cost can be reduced.
[0012]
<Third embodiment>
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a third embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 has the same configuration as that of FIG. 2A described above, except for a part. In the figure, the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 2 (a) indicate corresponding parts, and the description is omitted.
An elastic body 601 is added between the rotation shaft of the polishing pulley 104 and the housing 106. The elastic body may be, for example, a spring or rubber. During the polishing operation, the hand of the vertical articulated robot is operated according to a path programmed in advance so as to follow the surface of the mold, but during the actual operation, the polishing surface and the surface to be polished are determined according to the degree of progress of the polishing. And the relative positional relationship with it constantly changes. According to the present embodiment, the elastic body 601 expands and contracts, so that it is possible to appropriately follow the fine irregularities of the mold having a complicated curved surface.
[0013]
<Fourth embodiment>
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a fourth embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7A has the same configuration as that of FIG. 2A described above, except for a part. In the figure, the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 2 (a) indicate corresponding parts, and the description is omitted. Reference numeral 701 denotes an optical reader fixed to the housing 106. The optical reader 701 irradiates infrared light from a reading surface, detects light reflected on the object, and can determine whether the object is black and white. The reading surface of the optical reading device 701 faces the back side of the polishing surface of the polishing tape 101, and the reading result is sent to the control device of the vertical articulated robot via a signal line (not shown).
One example of the back side of the polishing surface of the polishing tape 101 is shown in FIGS. 7B and 7C. In the example of FIG. 7B, black marks are printed at equal intervals, and the feeding length of the polishing tape can be calculated by measuring the number of the black marks with an optical reader.
Further, in the example of FIG. 7C, barcodes encoding the feed length of the polishing tape are printed at equal intervals, and the barcode is read by an optical reader to reduce the feed length of the polishing tape. Can be calculated. Here, if the relationship between the feed length of the polishing tape and the number of the abrasive is stored in advance in the control device of the vertical articulated robot, an arbitrary number of polishing tapes can be sent to the polishing pulley. According to the present embodiment, the most suitable polishing tape can always be used immediately according to the polishing process, so that the working efficiency is high. In the example of FIG. 7C, the count information may be directly written as the barcode information.
[0014]
<Fifth Embodiment>
FIG. 8 is a view showing a fifth embodiment of the present invention, and is a front view (a) and a side view (b) of an automatic polishing apparatus.
In the figure, reference numeral 101 'denotes a polishing tape according to the fifth embodiment. The polishing tape 101' is, for example, a cloth file, and a polishing material such as a grindstone is applied to one surface of a long strip-shaped cloth. Endless tape connected. The outer periphery of each of the two disk-shaped reels 102 ′, 103 ′ and the polishing pulley 104 is in contact with the inside of the polishing tape 101 ′, and the rotation of the two disk-shaped reels 102 ′, 103 ′ causes the polishing tape 101 ′ to rotate. It is transferred endlessly. Then, the guide pulley 105 is pressed against the outside of the polishing tape 101 ′ to urge the polishing tape 101 ′ so that the polishing tape 101 ′ does not slack.
The disc-shaped reels 102 'and 103', the polishing pulley 104, and the guide pulley 105 are rotatably attached to the housing 106 via respective rotating shafts. Of these, both or one of the rotating shafts of the disc-shaped reels 102 ′ and 103 ′ is directly connected to the output shaft of an actuator 107 fixed to the housing 106, and by driving both or one by rotating the actuator 107. The polishing tape 101 'is configured to move in one direction (for example, the direction of the arrow). The polishing tape 101 'is configured to move in the reverse direction by the reverse rotation of the actuator 107.
Therefore, by controlling the polishing pulley 104 to be pressed against the metal mold while attaching it to the tip of the vertical articulated robot, the metal mold is polished using the feed speed of the polishing tape 101 ′ as the polishing speed. Can be.
According to such a method, since the feed speed of the polishing tape 101 'is constant around the outer periphery of the polishing pulley 104, the polishing speed becomes uniform, and unevenness in the polishing condition does not occur depending on the location.
In addition, even when using a polishing tool with a small outer diameter to grind a small part such as a groove, the rotation axis of the polishing tool and the pressing direction are perpendicular to each other, so that the grinding tool bites into the mold like a drill Without damaging the mold.
Since the rotational speeds of both the disc-shaped reels 102 'and 103' are always equal, the driving of the actuator 107 is simplified, and the cost can be reduced because only one reel can be used.
[0015]
【The invention's effect】
According to the automatic polishing apparatus of the first aspect, since the feed speed of the polishing tape 101 is constant around the outer periphery of the polishing pulley 104, the polishing speed becomes uniform, and the polishing condition does not vary from place to place. In addition, even when using a polishing tool with a small outer diameter to grind a small part such as a groove, the rotation axis of the polishing tool and the pressing direction are perpendicular to each other, so that the grinding tool bites into the mold like a drill Without damaging the mold. Further, as compared with a rotary polishing tool, the frequency of the same polishing surface hitting the mold is reduced, so that abrasion and clogging hardly occur, and the frequency of replacement of the polishing tool can be suppressed.
According to the automatic polishing apparatus of the second invention, the method of finishing by gradually reducing the abrasive grains on the polishing surface can be automated without replacing the polishing tool.
According to the automatic polishing apparatus of the third aspect of the present invention, the elastic body expands and contracts, so that it is possible to appropriately follow the fine irregularities of the mold having a complicated curved surface.
According to the automatic polishing apparatus of the fourth invention, the most suitable polishing tape can always be used immediately according to the polishing process, so that the working efficiency is high.
According to the automatic polishing apparatus of the fifth invention, the driving of the actuator is simplified and only one actuator is required, so that the cost is reduced.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a front view and a side view showing the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a vertical articulated robot according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an operation example of the actuator according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing characteristics of a polishing tape according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a third embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a fourth embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a fifth embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a conventional example.
[Explanation of symbols]
101 Polishing Tape 102 Feeding Reel 103 Receiving Reel 104 Polishing Pulley 105 Guide Pulley 106 Housing 107 Actuator 107a Feeding Actuator 107b Receiving Actuator 301 Vertical Articulated Robot 302 Mold 601 Elastic Body 701 Optical Reader 101 ′ Polishing Tape 102 ', 103' disk-shaped reel

Claims (8)

In an automatic polishing apparatus that performs polishing by moving a polishing tool along a pre-programmed path,
A strip-shaped polishing tape 101 having flexibility and a polishing surface on the surface, a disc-shaped feed-side reel 102 for winding one end of the polishing tape 101 around the outer periphery, and another end of the polishing tape 101 wound around the outer periphery. A receiving reel 103 having a disc shape to be taken, a polishing pulley 104 between the sending reel 102 and the receiving reel 103 for projecting a polishing surface of the polishing tape 101 to the outside of the apparatus, and a guide pulley for urging the polishing tape 101 with tension. 105, a housing 106 to which the sending-side reel 102, the receiving-side reel 103, the polishing pulley 104, and the guide pulley 105 are rotatably connected; and the sending-side reel 102 or the receiving-side reel fixed to the housing 106. An automatic polishing apparatus comprising: an actuator 107 that rotationally drives 103 or both of them. The automatic polishing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the polishing pulley 104 is supported by an elastic body with respect to the housing 106. A polishing tape characterized in that the roughness (count) of the polishing surface changes continuously or stepwise in the length direction. A polishing tape, wherein information on a winding length is added in a length direction. A polishing tape characterized in that the roughness (count) of the polished surface changes continuously or stepwise in the length direction, and information on the winding length is added in the length direction. The automatic polishing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the polishing tape 101 is the polishing tape 101 according to claim 3. The automatic polishing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the polishing tape is the polishing tape according to claim 4, and the housing has a reading unit for reading the length information. In an automatic polishing apparatus that performs polishing by moving a polishing tool along a pre-programmed path,
A belt-shaped endless polishing tape 101 'having flexibility and a polishing surface on its surface; and two disk-shaped reels 102 and 103 for transferring the polishing tape 101' in contact with the inside of the polishing tape 101 '. A polishing pulley 104 between the two disc-shaped reels 102 and 103 for projecting the polishing surface of the polishing tape 101 ′ to the outside of the apparatus; a guide pulley 105 for urging the polishing tape 101 ′ to tension; The disk-shaped reels 102, 103, the polishing pulley 104, and the guide pulley 105 are rotatably connected to a housing 106, which is fixed to the housing 106, and one or both of the two disk-shaped reels 102, 103 An automatic polishing apparatus, comprising: an actuator 107 that is driven to rotate.

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